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This monumental book on the Post-Structuralist knowledge paradigm is now available in Estonian translation. It's surprising how strong the enterprise is for making internatonal accademic best-sellers available in this small but rich language. I am in no way capable of commenting on the level and the accuracy of such a ... |
In this short but very provocative work, French theologian de Certeau tries his hand at defining the way people operate in cultural fields and how the weak resist. He is interested in the mundane, the everyday. His quasi-poetry touches on every facet of the human practice. De Certeau's ability to dwarf people who once ... |
De Certeau is also very critical of the scientific epistemological practice. To this he says, "A few individuals, after having long considered themselves experts speaking a scientific language, have finally awoken from their slumbers and suddenly realized that for the last few moments they have been walking on air, lik... |
"With a Needle in the Heart" |
"The Psychology of Extreme Traumati-sation: The Aftermath of Political Repression" |
For those interested in the darker side of history in Lithuania and the Baltics, the following books from the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania range from simple overview to in-depth technical analysis. |
The first book, a joint project with Garnelis Publishers in Vilnius, is a bit old but deserves mention. "With a Needle in the Heart" is a collection of memoirs from former ghetto and concentration camp prisoners. Hundreds of stories have been recorded and collected here. This is an example of the kind of work sponsored... |
"With a Needle in the Heart" lists deceased family members and friends, not just citizens of a particular town. Therefore, the novel carries a personal tone. At one point the book depicts children, during innocent play, imitating attempts by adults to smuggle food back into the ghetto and past the guards. |
The style is straightforward, written in the victims' own words. Printed in both English and Lithuanian on the same page, this book may also serve as an excellent language learning resource. |
The second book, "The Psychology of Extreme Traumatisation: The Aftermath of Political Repression" is the broadest in scope but, unfortunately, the least accessible. Edited by Danute Gailiene, this collection of articles includes research from various countries and covers the effects of both Soviet and Nazi repression.... |
The time period involved stretches from the Greek epics of the Iliad and the Odyssey, to 1889 when Oppenheim first coined the term "traumatic neurosis," to present day. On top of discussing the research, the book describes the societal and political climate that allows or hinders it, and mentions other issues like the ... |
The articles are scientific studies, sometimes filled with tables of figures and highly technical debates of interest mostly to mental health workers. It was at times disconcerting to see sentences such as "with prisoners being subjected to an average of 3.6 forms of maltreatment." Though this book is primarily a serio... |
What is it with The Drover's Wife? Henry Lawson's story about a disappointed woman left alone with her four children in the harsh bush and worried about the snake that has slithered under the two-roomed house. She sits up all night, during which she ponders her predicament, her life and her absent husband, until first ... |
It's a story first published in 1892 in The Bulletin that has had a remarkable afterlife. It has been filmed, it has been painted (famously, by Russell Drysdale), it is forever being anthologised and it has been worked over in a variety of ways by writers such as Murray Bail, Mandy Sayer, Frank Moorhouse, Barbara Jeffe... |
Last year, Moorhouse returned to Lawson's bleakly realistic picture of a woman's isolated life to produce a book devoted to examining its enduring appeal, a book he described as monument to the story and its manifestations. |
Now Ryan O'Neill, author of Their Brilliant Careers, his satirical biographies of fictional Australian writers that won the Prime Minister's Literary Award for fiction and whose comic-book version of The Drover's Wife was included in Moorhouse's book, has turned his playful gaze on Lawson's story. |
The Drover's Wives. By Ryan O'Neill. |
In The Drover's Wives, he offers 99 different versions of the story. Imagine it retold as a Cosmo quiz, as a gossip column, as a description of a fine wine, in cliches, in tweets, in the style of Ernest Hemingway, of Cormac McCarthy, as an RSPCA report, as a list of ingredients with a warning: "Products packaged after ... |
It was after he came to live in Australia and after he had read the versions by Moorhouse and Bail that he first read the original - a backwards encounter, as he puts it. |
"First reading I thought okay that was interesting. But I found over the years there are more and more layers; it's deceptively simple. There's a lot going on," he says. |
"Lawson very expertly moves backwards and forwards in time so, again, it's actually really complex what he does but the reader doesn't necessarily notice because it's done so well. Even in terms of characterisation – we never find out the drover's wife's name or her husband's name but despite that she's an incredibly w... |
What O'Neill admires most about Lawson is his style – simple language and simple sentence structure. |
"But when you dig around a little bit, you find it is very very complex and he's able to pack an extraordinary amount into a short space." |
To that extent, he argues that Lawson in a strange way anticipated a lot of Hemingway's pared-back and matter-of-fact style "which does at his best accumulate an extraordinary power but as with Hemingway when it doesn't work it's just 'the sky was blue, the sea was nice, the day was hot' and it doesn't go anywhere. But... |
Perhaps that's why The Drover's Wife in a Hemingway style is the second version in the book. The wife is a lush, making a first appearance with a highball in hand, but when she has her confrontation with the snake we get this: "The boy ran to help her, but she held him back. The boy knew then what guts meant: grace und... |
Lawson's final line, "the sickly daylight breaks over the bush", becomes in the Hemingway telling, "the sickly sun also rose". |
O'Neill was inspired by the French writer Raymond Queneau and the Oulipo group of writers who were fascinated by the idea of writing with self-imposed structural constraints. Queneau wrote in 1947 a book called Exercises in Style, which retold in 99 different way the very ordinary story of a man on a bus seeing an alte... |
O'Neill had been reading about the experimental group that also included Georges Perec (noted particularly in the context of O'Neill's book for his lipogram A Void in which he never uses the letter "e") and wondered if Queneau's approach could be applied to famous Australian short story. |
"The first idea I had, which didn't make it into the book although I did do it, was to wonder if I could retell The Drover's Wife using road signs. From there it grew. It was 10, then 20 and I thought 49 would be pushing it. |
"Once I'd done those I thought I'd just go for it, but the last 20 or 30 were a bit of a struggle, finding the ideas and trying to keep it fresh. By the end I had about 130 to choose from." |
Of course, he has his favourites: the Cento, made up of lines from Australian poems; the comic strip (artwork by Sam Paine) because he always wanted to a superhero comics writer and his first published work was a fan letter to Detective Comics, and the cryptic crossword. |
O'Neill, who teaches at the University of Newcastle, says the challenge of the book was to keep the reader entertained through what are essentially 99 versions of the same story. "I love how the story in all these different styles sometimes changes, sometimes remains the same, seeing how supple it is and how far you ca... |
He couldn't resist telling the story in his native Glaswegian: "Sometimes a blooter'd dobber ur sum ither f---in' shady jakie comes alang an' she diz 'er best tae bluff them sae they'll gang awa'. It fair scanners her." |
His parents were readers, books were always around, but they never read to him. "My dad worked in a warehouse, a very smart man, but he left school at 12 and was basically self-educated. He always had library books." |
O'Neill started with comics, but after he left Scotland and taught English in Rwanda, Lithuania and China he spent most of his time reading. Then when he came to Australia he immersed himself in Australian fiction, especially the short stuff. |
His first book, The Weight of a Human Heart, was published in 2012, and if there are clues in it to his future direction perhaps they lie in the story of the collapse of a marriage told via a series of graphs. |
He is slightly surprised to find himself described as a satirist, but doesn't disagree with the label (see 14 down in his crossword). And slightly embarrassed to admit that he used to sneer at humorous writing – "I grew out of that, I'm happy to say" – but sad that some people still do. |
It was the ability of Nabokov, his favourite writer, to find humour even when tackling the most serious or horrific plots and themes that changed his mind. |
When his mother was dying, he remembers sitting by her bed when his brother cracked a stupid joke "and we were both laughing and it was obviously an awful time, but life is never unremittingly miserable – it's never unremittingly anything; within the space of 10 minutes it can be absurd, it can be fun, it can be heartb... |
Clearly, O'Neill is not afraid to take risks with his writing. But he does wonder whether they're going to pay off. He usually gets about halfway through a book and suddenly fret about what he's doing and who will read it. |
It worked okay with Their Brilliant Careers, but the jury is "still out on" The Drover's Wives. |
"It comes back to that cliche but it's true, that as a writer you should write the book you want to read, and no one else is going to write 99 versions of The Drover's Wife apart from me, so I did it so I could read it. "Now he has another idea for bringing another Oulipian conceit into contact with an Australian class... |
The Drover's Wives: 99 Reinterpretations of Henry Lawson's Australian Classic is published by Brio at $26.99. |
When it comes to problems, we all have them. Many problems, however, are self-imposed. |
It’s meant to be. If you want to narrow the list of problems you have, start with a firm decision to stop making problems in the first place. Already, the objections start, beginning with the problems that others create that have a direct effect on you. Surely, you didn’t create them. So, how can you stop those problem... |
Nice try, but that’s a weasel-out excuse that won’t work. While you don’t have control over the problems others create, you very much have control over your response, action, or inaction. In other words, it’s what you do that counts, not what the problems are that you face. |
It’s the same with problems that you manufacture. Indeed, it’s all in how you regard the situation. If you think it’s a problem, it’s going to be a problem. If you view it in a more positive light, the problem is no longer a problem, but an opportunity or challenge. It’s the same situation, yet you have a different out... |
Let’s look at a few problems we tend to create for ourselves and how we can stop them being problems. |
How many of us complain that we don’t have enough time? There is a constant of 24 hours in every day, so we all have the same amount of time. The issue isn’t that we lack time, but that we choose to use it in an inefficient manner. |
One solution to the self-imposed problem of no time, if this is a problem you’re wrestling with, is to get better organized. When you create a schedule or routine, prioritize tasks, reach out for help, allocate resources, and devise a plan, there’s air in the problem that causes it to dissipate. Instead of a negative, ... |
Another nearly universal problem is that we don’t have enough money. Whether it’s a self-imposed and arbitrary sum we have in our heads that we believe is necessary to being financially stable or that we never seem to have enough money to pay the bills, the fact that we hold this thought as a problem perpetuates it. Th... |
If this is a problem that you have, here’s a way to approach it. A deep analysis of exactly where you spend your money is the first step to changing the problem into something more manageable. No, you can’t mint money, but you can stop wasting it on expensive lattes when a home-brew is cheaper, doesn’t require you to d... |
Scaling back immediate self-gratification and concentrating on living in the present, being fully aware and involved in the here and now will not only take the onus off the belief that money is scarce, it will also enrich daily living. |
A problem that involves a change of attitude is the belief that we have no friends. Sometimes, this is because we go out of our way to avoid meeting new people, believing that we have nothing to offer, that we’re not good enough, don’t converse easily, aren’t as educated, don’t dress the same way, come from diverse bac... |
Does this sound like a problem you have? The only way out of the box of having no friends you’ve put yourself in is to go out and begin to interact with others. Work on some casual conversation openers to get things going. Take a course, if necessary, to practice conversational skills. Find a hobby or recreational purs... |
How many of your friends and co-workers can you identify who appear to lack motivation? They aren’t interested in getting ahead or have no desire to undertake challenges that require them to move out of their comfort zone. They’re perfectly happy to maintain the status quo, not advancing, yet not falling behind either.... |
This can be a problem that worsens. If you become used to just getting by, never exerting yourself, never trying anything new, life is going to become humdrum, unsatisfying, even boring. Where is the excitement of discovery if you never take the time to explore, experiment with different approaches, try new recipes, ma... |
Remember, having problems is not a unique experience. Finding a workable solution to what’s bothering you or holding you back from experiencing a productive, fulfilling life, however, is unique. You may employ similar approaches to those others have found successful, yet you will tailor and adapt them to suit your situ... |
Suzanne Kane is a Los Angeles-based writer, blogger and editor. Passionate about helping others live a vibrant and purposeful life, she writes daily for her website, www.suzannekane.net. She is a regular contributor to Psych Central. You can reach her at [email protected]. |
How Do I Know If I Ended a Relationship Well? |
Olympic beach volleyball legend Kerri Walsh Jennings plans on making the 2020 Tokyo Olympics the final Games of her career. |
The Associated Press (h/t USA Today) reported as much Thursday, noting she will turn 42 years old during those Olympics. |
"I have no partner. I just came off two surgeries, and I know I'm going to win gold in Tokyo," she said of the challenges ahead and her plans, per the AP. "... It makes this one and this journey that much more meaningful." |
According to the AP, the surgeries were on her right shoulder and left ankle. She only just started using the shoulder with her normal motion a mere three weeks ago. |
Walsh Jennings said she probably would have retired in 2016 had she won the gold in Rio de Janeiro with partner April Ross. Rather, she settled for bronze and snapped her streak of three consecutive golds in the sand volleyball competition. |
She captured gold in 2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London with partner Misty May-Treanor, and the duo quickly grew synonymous with the sport among American viewers who watched their Olympic dominance. |
Walsh Jennings said she has narrowed her choices for a partner in Tokyo to two women and is motivated by her failure to win gold in Rio during her first Games since May-Treanor retired. |
The motivation is clear now: retire on top with another gold medal in her final Olympics. |
Gold Medalist Eying MMA Career? |
Today's Top Event: Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity at the Chabot Space & Science Center. |
Brainiac: Learn something new every day. Today's lecture: Buddhism and Warfare. Lecture by Padmanabh Jaini at the IEAS Conference Room. |
Is It Lunch Yet? We recommend: Kilohana Grill in San Ramon. |
On the Town: Going out tonight? It's been too long since you last sang karaoke. Drop by Eli's Mile High Club for a chance to belt out some tunes with host KJ Sam. |
Hardly Working: You've got time. We know how to waste it. Check out the groovy pages of a 1975 J.C. Penney catalog. |
External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris made a strong case against the inclusion of Sri Lanka as an agenda item at the meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) which is scheduled to be held in London in April. |
The minister said such a course of action is contrary to the decisions taken by the Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting in Perth, Western Australia in October 2011 regarding the mandate of CMAG and the scope of its functions. |
He expressed these sentiments at discussions with Commonwealth Secretary- General Kamalesh Sharma in London on Tuesday with the upcoming meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government in Sri Lanka in November this year. |
Prof Peiris, who described to the Secretary-General the developments in Sri Lanka during the last few months, emphasised the crucial need to preserve the essential character of the Commonwealth as a “voluntary association of sovereign states, characterised by a striking diversity of cultures and outlook among the 54 st... |
He said any attempt to politicise the organisation or to permit its structures and mechanisms to be used as instruments by some countries to interfere in the domestic issues of other countries, would inevitably distort the cultural ethos of the Commonwealth and pose significant challenges with regard to its future. |
Minister Peiris briefed the Secretary-General in detail about the arrangements being made by the government to host the main conference in Colombo as well as the Commonwealth Business Forum, the People’s Forum and the Youth Forum which will be held in Hambantota. |
Secretary- General Sharma told the minister that he was looking forward to his visit to Sri Lanka and he was pleased with the arrangements under way for the meeting of the heads of government. |
He expressed satisfaction about Sri Lanka’s dialogue with Dr Mohan Kaul regarding the Business Council which involves a focus on Sri Lanka not only as a destination for investment but also as a trading and knowledge hub. Prof Peiris briefed Sharma about the discussions which he held in New Delhi last month regarding th... |
Q: Why the Commonwealth is against SL? |
Damn India is behind EVERY nasty thing against SL. |
I think we should IMMEDIATELY STOP blaming Islamics now. |
We have to look at HOW we can DOMESTICATE the Indian-AQ/Pak fight in SL. |
That will elimiate BOTH our threats. |
How do you think Israel surives in a MASSIVE hostile neighborhood? Shia verses Sunni!! |
This entry was posted on Thursday, February 7th, 2013. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. |
Former Gunnedah employees of the Bestcare pet food company have been given an inspection of its proposed new facility in Dubbo. |
A total of 35 people lost their jobs when Bestcare decided to move to Dubbo after its Gunnedah factory was demolished in an explosion on January 25. |
Operations manager Mike Goldring has offered jobs in Dubbo to the Gunnedah employees. |
Mr Goldring believes about half of the former employees will transfer after they were given a tour of Dubbo hosted by the local council and the development corporation. |
Dubbo has offered assistance to those who choose to relocate. |
The former Libertines rocker - who has had a well documented battle with substance abuse - will not get high from needles any more out of respect for his mystery girlfriend as he doesn't want her to dabble with drugs. |
He said of his addictions: "I've stopped injecting. |
"The only way I see myself in a serious relationship is if I am toning it down a bit. When you're banging up all day you can't really have someone in your life, especially if she's an English rose. I wouldn't let her touch anything. I just wouldn't." |
Pete - who famously dated supermodel Kate Moss from January 2005 and July 2007 - also says he's more calmer in his life since quitting London and moving to the French capital of Paris three years ago. |
Speaking to The Independent newspaper, he said: "The media circus got a bit twisted when I was in London. It became a bit of a joke, really. In Paris, they're so serious I can take myself really seriously, too. I can get really morbid without people telling me to cheer up." |
With one of the great and certainly most disciplined final rounds in the Open Championship, Francesco Molinari repelled one of the great Open Championship leaderboards to win his and Italy's first major. |
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